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Best description of today’s hearing’s thus far comes from our own Hugh:
This is like a CEO giving you his expansion plan and pointing to all the charts that show everything is going great, except for the one small fact that the company is going under.
Things are going so well in Iraq that we can cut our troops back to more than we had there when the surge started. That’s progress….
Although violence is up, it’s down.
Although our mission is to protect civilians, we are currently attacking them.
Although the Iraqi security forces are doing great things, we still can’t defend anything.
Although we are withdrawing troops, we are leaving more troops there then before.
Emptywheel points out that the DOJ doesn’t have time to respond to Congressional requests for information to back up their claims — so the stonewalling continues, and the accountability and oversight suffers for it.
This from Arianna made me laugh out loud:
Have you heard the news? "The Surge" is about to end. The next phase of our 100 Year War is "The Pause." Surge, Pause… Surge, Pause… We can’t pull out! It’s all starting to sound a bit sexual, isn’t it? But the American people are the ones getting screwed.
Thomas Ricks and Spencer Ackerman have more. It’s certainly feeling like a long, long morning of spin, counter-spin and innuendo…and not much blunt truth.
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McAincient
Peace now ,Damn it !
If General MATH and Betty the Crock were businessmen- once they lost the first trillion dollars in an investment- that would provide a logical argument for dumping another trillion in the venturel…go figure.
CEO president my ass.
Kennedy tried to ask about whether Cheney was involved/informed of the Basra initiative, but Crocker’s answer was evasive. He said it wasn’t discussed “in any meeting in which I was present.” But he wasn’t asked whether he knew or had been told about what Cheney discussed with the Iraq officials.
The real question here is why Petraeus should be let to play with the US Army like it was his own personal toy.
100 years war, for oil……. dumb
Warner asking if this is making us safer at home.
Fail forward for genocide and robber barons!
Support making your troops bomb children and shoot their burning bodies in route to the hospital.
Would it be fair to say that McCain in the service of covering up the failure of the surge is plastering makeup on it like a trollop?
Do did he or didn’t he get Cheney’s memo? *g*
in senate finance committee now, the unexamined basis for the discussion is that iran is our enemy and must be controlled or destroyed economically.
for example, that they are the region’s “biggest exporter of electricity” is seen as a very bad thing – an example of their desire for regional control that we must roll back.
Warner “80% of Americans do not think it is worth it!” Must be listen to Americans…..
perfect picture Christy
.
and for whoever it was this morning, and I’m sorry I can’t remember
Here’s Petreaus’ chart on
Recommended Force Reductions / Mission Shift
Crocker has some shifty eyes
Goebbels would be proud of these two political apparatchicks. A work in Progress?
“SO!!!!”
“Sir, when a company loses a trillion dollars in an enterprise- does that provide a good reason to lose more- or a reason to get the fuck out?”
so sadly true Eureka … damn them
Hopefully, McCain, with his undying love for this war as demonstrated by his “questioning” of Petraeus and Crocker, will seal his defeat in November.
PERFECT picture! lol Talk about nailing it! What a bunch of crocker. sorry. i just woke up here. trying to wrap my head around this chit. and good day all.
Good news. Iraq has made us safer.
Don’t pay attention I suppose to the NIE that said that Iraq has been a great recruiting tool for terrorists.
Crockashit looks like a corpse- don’t get out much anymore?
Petreaus has a written, prepared answer to Warner’s question — has our effort in Iraq made the US more secure? Warner asks again, for a simple answer. Petraeus is ducking again, saying the effort in Iraq is “worth it,” but not whether the strategic decision to focus there is making us safer.
Crocker says AQ is our mortal enemy, so “to the extent we can weaken them” in Iraq it “makes us safer.” Very careful evasions. Warner doesn’t realize they didn’t answer his question.
from senate finance committee – something i didn’t know was that when s.970 was brought up last year (with it’s 70 cosponsors), apparently the administration asked congress to slow down on it.
sad…..
No one gets Cheney’s memos. See emptywheel.
now to get real sick……….
OK everybody quiet now here is lierman!!!!!!
Gah! Lieberman!
“Peace now ,Damn it !”
Thanks. My new bumper sticker.
Did the pet general just say, “they died, very much so” [!?!]
I think I may have to bow out of this. not enuf hooch in the world to make it go down and stay down.
Lieberman is up. Yuck!
LIEberman up and strangely, my speakers have gone silent …
crockashit and general math both avoid every question by rattling off a bunch a shit.
Liberwurst tries to get the grand champion of “thank you for your service” to general math.
My contempt for Lieberman knows no bounds-punaise 2006
Lieberman — criticizes his Dem colleagues — they “hear no progress, see no progress, speak of no progress.” Why can’t they “agree on the facts?”
Joe is a true THESPIAN……kinda like shylock
senate finance committee – reinsch:our iran policy requires help from the russians. this bill ties the president’s hands.
Seconded.
I must mute Lieberrshit
He is full of shit..go be a damn repug
Agreement on the facts??? The dems need to strip him of his chair duties and let the repugs have them
Lieberwurst has no question apparently- wants ta give a nice speech bout how nice Iraq is.
all on message…IRAN
seconded
Lierman wants to know about Iran…didn’t take him long huh!
Lieberman: My colleagues have an attitude: see no progress, hear no progress, say no progress.
Well ya know Joe, maybe that’s because there hasn’t been any progress.
L. We need to establish the facts and the facts are what you are telling us.
Now on to the evils of Iran.
i’m momentarily distracted – i’ll follow along in the comments…..
mr is throwing wadded newspaper at the tv
Lieberman Progress in Iraq agreement on the facts but troops won’t be coming home in the future?
Lieberman: Rah! Rah! There is progress in Iraq! But not enough to bring our troops home. I’m going to get another cup of coffee. Nothing new here.
God, he sounds so whiiiinnnney
JOE LIE has some pickle down his throat
Every time Petraeus is speaking, there should be a soundtrack of a tin can being kicked down a road.
Progress in Iraq … Liarman
Iraqi leadership has achieved more progress than the American … hmmm… as Iraqi leadership tries to kill the opposition party coz they might win the provincial elections
Liar wants to “move to more success so we can bring our troops home…”
Who knew! Why. It’s so simple!
like a moth to the flame… i must switch to listening to c-span
Lieberwurst wants to hear about Iran—General Math talkin bout “master trainers”—-(or master baters- not sure which.)
JoLie, since you wanna talk about “facts,” what about the $350,000 in petty cash you used to buy votes in the primary.
Sic him Lucky…. go on get the bastard
slimey,whinney and utmost liar….JOE your son is in his 20s…encourage him to GO SERVE IN EYERAK
I’ve turned it off. Wonder if anyone will ask about Maliki and the Badr militia?
P. recycling the old canard about the Explosively Formed Projectiles coming from Iran. It’s a round piece of copper for cripes sake.
Ironically, Lieberman can’t seem to hear the evil, see the evil, or speak of the evil of this war.
**Interestingly enough, begun by a man many liken to a monkey**
Joe laying groundwork for escalation in coming weeks!!!
Iran bullshit again … and the ongoing lie that IRaqis need Iranians to teach them how to make IEDs which any fool can make
No it is not the Iranians who are guilty of murder you ahole it is bush that is guilty of genocide
JOE one trick pony on IRAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need to develop a geometric pressure gauge for Petraeus
liesmath.Sorry he is way too busy killing Palestinians
Wow, all y’all are quick with the comments this morning. Thanks for the liveblogging!
Christy! You rock. Minor correction, though, on the link to Emptywheel: it’s the DOJ, not the DOD (today, at least), that just doesn’t have time to answer to Congress…
FunnyDiva
L. Iranian backed militias running wild in the South.
The joke here is that isn’t the JAM but our allies the ISCI and Dawa.
I knew it the General found a link to Iran this hearing is not about Iraq its trying to establish a Causi Beli to invade Iran. Lieberman is now blaming hundreds of American deaths on the Iranians.
Do we trust anything Joe or the Bushies say about this war after how many years of were wining just another six months, WMD etc.
Christy can we have a letter writing campaign to ask Joe to send HIS KIDS to serve in Iraq????
HAH!!! yeah that’ll happen…..
liarman looking for a justification for war with iran – with his q on iran being responsible for 100’s of american deaths and 1000’s of iraqi deaths? did i hear him correctly? please tell me i misheard.
I wonder how the people of the Nutmeg State are feeling about their elected official these days?
Have their chickens finally come home to roost? If so, mustn’t there be a massive, collective puke occurring all across Connecticut this morning?
That’s the way I heard it, too. Sorry.
we need to write to him en masse,then youtube it…send it all over the intertubes
OT
More Green Zone strikes
time to wad up more peper, here comes Inhofe
next up 2nd stupidest fukker on the plannet,with 1 million kids that dont serve
BushCo is mad at Iran for negotiating ceasefires and f*cking up the Neocon gameplan …
Inhofe is worried about dinosaur mounted Iranian militia.
Same old PNAC-attack meme.
Inhofe up. Well here’s a chance for some intelligently designed questions.
See there is a God…
well, that’s just disgusting. inhofe using a funeral. i’m sure no one is surprised. think i’ll go over and give Andrew Rice some money for that comment. ya think he knows his days are numbered?
asshole!
sumwon, hand liarmn sum eyedrops. e’s blinkin’ record speed. ain’t that s’posed ta mean sunthin?
paper, that is
I watched a few minutes of the hearings and gave up because I figured anything was better than listening to these guys and gals babble on predictably about whether the war is worth it or not. This after the populace has already decided it’s not. Wake me if anyone asks Petraeus where he would find the troops to stay in Iraq if they go back to 12 month tours? Or whether he thinks the well he’s going to is a well that never runs dry no matter what. When Dems take over, it will be time to start paying the bills from this war. No more credit card purchases of equipment or incentives to procure soldiers.
Actually, I’d much rather ask if Christy doesn’t already have a doxie, and how the other pets in the house are taking to the puppy. He reminds me of the picture Raven showed of his dog before he grew up.
liarman done and now inhofe is up. from evil to stupid. is that an improvement? i don’t know.
Inhofe trying to say the “far left” will accuse US of torturing detainees. Sorry, Jimmy, it’s well established that we torture and that it is approved government policy. Screw Yoo.
the cluster fucked Iraqi Oil Plot and its sand storm continues..
Now to listen to the next “pos”…….. inhofe
Oh oh it is us commies that are saying that mercuns torture but is just not true we don’t torture noooooo… thanks imhof
Robert Reid of AP reports that hundreds of Iraqis fled the Shiite districts of Baghdad that are under siege by American and Iraqi government forces. The US and its Iraqi allies engaged in firefights on several fronts in the Shiite neighborhoods. US helicopter gunships and fighter bombers also fired missiles into the civilian neighborhoods. The attacksleft 14 dead in the Baghdad area. The US military denies that its bombing of civilian neighborhoods kills innocent civilians. While I know they try hard to minimize collateral damage, the blanket form of the assertion is not plausible.
http://www.juancole.com/
Isn’t bombing Civilian areas a war crime? Petraeus is the General in charge of Iraq right now so he’s guilty then?
Inhofe asked detainees if they were being mistreated and they said no. (If they said yes, the beatings would have gotten more extreme.)
Yep, and he gave me a “God Button” on my remote … *g*
yeah. he’s lying.
well how dare we metion brutality, torture and such … the Iraqi detainees are so fucking happy to be held for years with no charges
Watching this hearing is an exercise in masochism. I have yet to hear a single resounding challenge to the Petraeus/Crocker act. It is a disgrace!
thanks for the reality check.
i’m back to listening to the senate finance committee hearing on s.970.
Inhoffe says that he asked all the detainees whether they have been well treated and they ALL say that they love america.
Some senators would suspect that only people who are being intimidated would actually praise their captors….fuckin idiot.
Detainees are being treated great in Iraq. More good news because there are so very, very many of them.
P. says they are using spies among them to protect them. Some even want to stay on things are so good.
yes … think Guernica … our tax dollars at work
There are 50,000 new detainees since the surge started. Click my name.
I wish CSpan would run a split screen of live Iraq footage along with this crap.
Actually, Inhofe kept slapping them until they changed their answer to “No!”
Hey! Yer quick! *g*
… and they’re much better off than if they were in NOLA …
the sickness,and evil ,is getting UN palatable,and sunny France is looking better and better
Send donations to Andrew Rice through Blue America! Please!
Whether he is retired or not, is there any law preventing the Congress from asking Fallon to come and chat with them to get his perspective? I’d be much more interested in that, particularly if he’s now free to tell the truth instead of speak the government line.
Ask them again when they are out of jail and safe in an other country:)
Maybe one has to stop bombing civilians before it becomes a crime?
senate finance committee – (kittrie, i think) china is not being helpful. they are doing business with iran. maybe we should impose economic sanctions on china.
I honestly beleive that Inhofe is a taco shy of a combination plate. Absolutely crackers
Wasn’t it Republicans like Inhofe attacking Democrats and accusing them of supporting the terrorists and garbage like that by their insisting we treat detainees according to the Geneva Conventions? Wasn’t it Repubs like Inhofe who disparaged Democrats for NOT wanting to abuse and mistreat detainees?
Now he’s imploring the general to testify to the fab-yoo treatment the detainees are getting?
Strange conflict there.
Inhofe: Iraqi troops did great in Basra.
P. too much for even him. I do not want to overstate how well they did, but then proceeds to do so.
Inhofe says that our troops were really pleased with the Iraqi troops- they really did GOOD! (other than gettin the shit kicked out of em in an operation that should never have taken place in the first instance.)
Crocker claiming Iran is leading a “lebanonzation” of Iraq … yet the leading opposition movement hates Iran
On April 7th Tucker Carlson debating with Phil Donahue on Dan Abram’s Verdict declared:
“I do not think the measure of success in Iraq is the well being of the Iraqi people….The idea, it is not our job to bring peace and security to Iraq, our job is to protect our interest”…
And then goes on to attack Phil Donahue’s because of Donahue’s comments about Dick Cheney.
If you missed this, you should definitely watch it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21…..4#24003394
Inhoh looks as if he stayed in the tannin’ booth too long. lobster – red.
Don’t know why we’re bothering to have these stupid hearings. Clusterfuck’s gonna do whatever he wants for the next nine months anyway…
This is a fuckin waste of time.
Who are the constipated looking folks sitting behind Petraeus?
senate finance committee hearing is adjourned. i only heard parts of it, but i think it is worth a listen when it is put up in the committee’s archives.
Will the Mahdi Army disband at request of Maliki? ha
Sadr’s statemet that he would disband if clergy asked – and clergy said yesterday they would never do that
Anybody have a link to the hearing?
NSA goons who have the goods on the Senators.
PD………..skewed the little arrogant “accident”
The one in uniform and the overgrown Hitler mustache is Glenn’s penpal Boylan.
http://www.cspan.org/watch/cs_…..38;Code=CS
http://www.c-span.org
Who is this Senator Reid ? He appears to have a backbone, unlike the other Reid …
“I do not think the measure of success in Iraq is the well being of the Iraqi people….The idea, it is not our job to bring peace and security to Iraq, our job is to protect our interest”…
By protecting our interests we are committing war crimes and BANKRUPTING OUR COUNTRY by our interests Tucker means Bush’s Legacy!
General Math usin McBush’s line bout “lookin into the abyss.”
These fuckers LOVE abyssi.
they should pan the camera to McCain, I’m sure he is asleep by now
ahhhh, so that’s him
read my lips: the more it’s “out”, they more chance someone, then s’more just might listen and look and question… beats burying the story along with the poor victims of this awful administration.
hmmmmm anything new?? i’m switching back and forth…. punch and judy still carrying on….. we’ll get nothing new til 1/20/09 IF a dem gets in…….
ex marine RI
Ofg! Great to see you.
Excellent juggling selise.
loyal props.
ya know the tiny general is not stoooopit,but very venal and evil,WILL ANYONE ASK ABOUT the SUICIDE of his co worker over the corruption???
Thanks, I realized it was Senator “Reed” after I posted …
Somebody ought to ask Petraeus whether or not he plans to run for president after McCain.
Hey, all!
Same time, same place, five years from now.
Is it a date?
Those would be the potential winners of the next crop of “Medal of Freedom” winners. Like Tenant, behind Colin Powell, that appears to be the catbird seat.
Sadr was making a rhetorical point. He would never have offered if he thought they would accept. Sadr represents many of Iraq’s poor and there are a lot of them. The clerics are not going to overlook this or back Maliki whom they see as largely ineffectual and American puppet.
Thanks
It should be Surge, Pause…Up or down vote… Surge, Pause
Same time, same place, same subject, five years from now.
Who is briefing the GOP Senators and Lieberman on Iraq is Dick’s basement intel agency still providing *cough* reports on Iraq?
Linky?
No one will mention the death of Ted Westhusing … http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..94458.html
Somebody ask Crocker how often he talks with Bremer Kissinger and Associates.
Crocker says Badr no longer a militia. They integrated into the Iraq security forces. Translation: They got new uniforms.
P: Badr is no longer a “militia,” it’s an “organization.”
Whew, I’m so relieved.
http://play.rbn.com/play.asx?u…..wmext=.asx
Try this. If it doesn’t work, go to C-Span, tv schedule, & click on LIVE in appropriate spot – wherever they have it on. I’m getting it on “stand alone player: through regular C-Span, somehow. But I do fear that’ll change as soon as Senate’s in session…
Jeff Sessions, R-Moon.
Sessions, should he be indicted Mr. Rove?
Misrepresenting role of Iran again … claims Badr Brigade is no longer a militia coz they changed their name and joined Maliki’s army … fools
weasel looking little f*#*(!, isn’t he???? beady eyes, pointed nose, forked tongue and all!
unbelievable that we are saddled with these hacks.
Sessions to Petreus. Hugs. Hugs. Hugs. Kisses. Kisses. Kisses.
Sessions trying to show he is the biggest suck up on the planet. Now there’s success.
Of course. Maliki is going to call for the disbanding of all militias. Can’t have his boys handing in their weapons.
A magnificent fellating Session
You got your letters mixed up. Should be: Jeff Sessions, MoRon.
Sessions wants to enhance the Petraeus progress in Iraq.
Would that be the little blue triangular pill, Jeff?
In Iraq, Westhusing worked under two generals: Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, and Petraeus, then a lieutenant general. But Bryce continued: “By late May, Westhusing was becoming despondent over what he was seeing.” When his body was found on June, a note was found nearby addressed to Petraeus and Fil. According to Bryce it read:
“Thanks for telling me it was a good day until I briefed you. [Redacted name]–You are only interested in your career and provide no support to your staff–no msn [mission] support and you don’t care. I cannot support a msn that leads to corruption, human right abuses and liars. I am sullied–no more. I didn’t volunteer to support corrupt, money grubbing contractors, nor work for commanders only interested in themselves. I came to serve honorably and feel dishonored. I trust no Iraqi. I cannot live this way. All my love to my family, my wife and my precious children. I love you and trust you only. Death before being dishonored any more
LOL
ha ha ha…………………….
Thanks, that does read better.
Al Sadr is being told to disband his army when nobody else in Iraq is being asked to or else his party won’t be in the next election. Al Sadr just won a fight against Maliki, American troops and planes plus the English.
Wining against such odds he now looks like a hero. We are hated by the Iraqi’s if we say we hate Sadr we make Sadr everyone’s hero.
So that’s how they got the “surge” to work …
That fine liberal word “progress” has been hijacked and terribly abused today.
Sarko is Cheney junior. Canada is not better with Harper, who’s Bush to the nth degree.
My confidence always goes up when I get the shit stomped out of me and half my buddies dogpile me.
It was interesting to see yesterday that several Iraqi members of parliament then suggested that if militias should be disbanded that the Peshmerga be disbanded … the same militia we use as shock troops to brutalize southern Iraqis … and whose expected use is leading to mass evacuations of Mosul.
I don’t think anyone except Reed knows shit about this.
none of the questions i’ve heard seem very helpful. unless following the kabuki script is considered helpful.
i dont think Sarcozy will last
eyeran EYE RAN,EYE,RAN…its coming in May
Any other good guys to follow … the Neocon group have worn away my patience …
impeach,try,convict INCARCERATE!!!
I wish someone would ask what % of U.S. weapons are in enemies’ hands.
Reed, knowledgeable and a tough nut!
Uh-oh. Petraeus just admitted Iran’s role in getting al Sadr to shut down last week. He just went off script.
more war widows …..
like the ones Petraeus lost? what was it 100,000 guns?
I think a lot of Iraqi citizens feel America and Iran are already fighting each other and using Iraq as the battleground.
Is Punaise around? He could weigh in knowingly on this.
I believe Sarko’s koolaid is very potent.
I want someone to ask
“Who is the enemy? How many are they” and “Can we kill em all?”
to simple, to telling!!!!
hey CROCKERSHIT,got any proof?
actually, they want to say Iran controls Sadr … rather than admitting Maliki had to ask Iran to mediate since he was unlikely to get out of Basra alive
Excellent posts & comments on the hearing this a.m. I’ve got to finally stop reading & head to the office, but just wanted to link a couple visuals that IMO go well w/the Petraeus-Crocker dog & pony:
The Ozymandias Parade- Ed Kienholz…Detail of Same
A review of this art work-
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2…..-a19.shtml
Have to go. Read you all later.
Ask the General a real question like how long can we keep paying him to lose! Ask Lieberman and the GOP how many years have they been saying that we ARE WINNING IN IRAQ?
Why should we believe Joe the Generals and the GOP Senators this time?
190,000, according to last thread.
I’d love to see Juan Cole on the panel of questioners.
Sarko was groomed by Mitterand …
Skimming the comments, I noticed the word “Iran” cropping up often, so I searched for “Iran” and found this comment
which was what was in my mind to say.
The April new moon — just right for a nighttime attack on Iran — came and went, and I wonder if we may not have dodged a bullet, there. It will be very interesting to see whether this hearing manages to blame Iran for the failure of the surge. We have far too many new moons to go before the election to make me comfortable. Are the hawks going to get the U.S. populace sufficiently riled up in favor of a “preventive war” to give them cover for an attack on Iran?
Any information why? I’m not doubting just curious.
Go watch Al Gore’s new video. At least we can have a sense for the future afterward. Our congress scum seem to make money on the war. That would be cause for recusal with prejudice.
Imagine, watching congress lie to each other, us, their politically hyped guests. It is a bad TV show where the outcome is certain. Boredom and eventual death.
Why would humans vote for Sessions? Weren’t there any candidates from their OWN species running?
Good one.
How about.. General, is the Green Zone under fire today?
Iran is arab? Ambass Crocker?
Rarely is the question asked, is our troops winning?
he gave him a little tongue too
embarassing, ain’t it?
justa hunch,somebody was watching the carrier movements…summer is too hot,justa hunch
Has anyone asked if it has been suggested to Maliki that using the army to take out your political opponents is not the path to legitimacy?
But then wouldn’t they also have to admit al Maliki is closer to the Iranians than to us?
I didn’t specify what kind of kisses (or where) because I didn’t put a spew alert. *g*
it is only a question of when…..
hahahahahahahha,more of the same sub human species imo
Sen Jack REED of RI, not REID. Another way you can tell ‘em apart.
You gotta be kiddin me.
Yes, but it’s a time-honored path that’s been used by many many dictators.
uh NO…”g”
It was Cheney who ordered Maliki to do just that….natch.
From my scandals list:
230. According to a GAO report of July 31, 2007 up to December 2005 there was no centralized system of records to track equipment transfers to Iraqi security forces. While the commander of the Multinational Security Transition Command- Iraq (MNSTC-I ) in 2004-2005 a certain David Petraeus reported that “about 185,000 AK-47 rifles, 170,000 pistols, 215,000 items of body armor, and 140,000 helmets were issued to Iraqi security forces as of September 2005,” “the MNSTC-I property books contain records for only about 75,000 AK-47 rifles, 90,000 pistols, 80,000 items of body armor, and 25,000 helmets.” This results in a discrepancy of “about 110,000 AK-47 rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items of body armor, and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces as of September 22, 2005.” Petraeus called it a clerical error but it is likely that much of this equipment ended up in the hands of militias, making Petraeus, not Iran, the biggest illicit arms supplier in Iraq.
Total bullshit from start to finish…..what a waste of taxpayer’s money.
Doesn’t Hilary get to ask a few questions soon? Will she show some backbone?
Your the third person who has mentioned bombing with a new moon do you mean the dark phase of the moon? Why is the moon so important to bombing?
simply poifffffffffffect inquiry
(back again, waaaaaaaaaaaay behind, gorgeous Lucky–he’s got the mark of a shedder. Brace yerself, Christy.)
As an ambassador, he can’t be bothered with petty things like differentiating between persians and arabs, secular sunnis/ extremist sunnis, nationalist shia, etc.
It’s not just the Republicans who are kicking the can down the road. Pelosi and Conyers could start wrapping this up with just one word.
Overlooked your earlier comment. Busy thread: 46+ comments while I typed that line!
this guy is teh dull,should have saved him for last
Iran is Persian like Esther’s husband in the Bible they are not members of the Arab League.
WTF is Akaka bringing up possible military action with DPRK?
I thnk you said it, it will be completely dark (no moon) perfect cover to bomb
We should be asking about that!
Sounds similar to the way guns find their way into US urban areas!
The Navy has been amassing forces in the Persian Gulf for two years; I honestly thought we’d be in Iran before now. I suspect if impeachment were not “taken off the table” we might well be there already in a massive wag the dog escapade. Perhaps that is still planned and Lieberman is certainly a cheerleader for that prospect. But, good lord, I hope the American public is finally paying enough attention so that such a thing cannot be given credence even by this crop of lying shitheads. I hope we are awake enough to march in the streets if it comes to that, but I wonder.
Nothin’s gonna happen as long as Clusterfuck’s in the White House- that’s nine more months of the same….
After that- if McBush is elected, it’s four more years.
If Hillary or Obama is elected- it’s at least two more years.
At a minimum, we will be in Iraq for a total of eight years and we will continue to have some forces there as far as the eye can see no matter WHO wins in November.
Anyone else notice that nobody is talking about the sacred 18 benchmarks in the funding bill for the surge? Doesn’t that bill require directly addressing these benchmarks?
He has people who brief him provided he reads the brief!
More progress. Iraqi security forces want to buy American C-130s.
Why does Collins sound so funny? Does she have some sort of speaking disability?
It has occured to me that the fact that he is doing it now means that he plans on not honoring the results of the upcoming elections.
Collins warming the General up for yet another blow job.
And let’s don’t forget who’s mission it was to train all these stellar Iraqi security forces back in 2004-2005. Saint Petraeus.
“We can’t pull out! It’s all starting to sound a bit sexual, isn’t it? But the American people are the ones getting screwed.”
You girls make me blush sometimes…
The latest definition of compassionate conservative is one of the Oil Kingdom Republicans offering petroleum jelly to the public at a discount.
Good Heavens … JoeLie has a female twin …
On our charge account, no doubt.
Is Susan Collins nervous or does she have a speech impediment?
that is the operative word ‘provided’
I think maybe she’s a bit nervous. She’s actually breaking with the party line here.
ROFLMAO
Surge, pause…reminds me of an old joke about Nixon talking to Westmoreland: “Pull out? Doesn’t sound manly to me, Bill. Whaddaya say we stay in there and get the job done?”
This whole thing reeks of these guys thinking with their tiny dicks wayyyyyy too much.
I think that if it came to a battle of militias, Moqtada will win and Maliki will lose. I think Maliki was hoping for better, but quickly found out that he was SOL.
PS; not even remotely OT, what EVER happened to “Phase Two?”
Has the media just forgotten that part of the deal?
Collins: Why should American forces continue to take the lead?
P. In Basra we didn’t.
And we all know how well that turned out. So what’s P.’s point?
Back again. My computer crashed when Trader Joe Lieberman hit the mikes.
I just couldn’t stand any more Repugs kiss-assing. Aren’t they embarrassed? Respect yes. Ass kissing, repulsive and adolescent.
I can tell Susan. The 1,000 Iraqi troops didn’t dessert, they went to the other side with whom they fell a greater loyalty than to P.
exactly – what a megillah!
She always sounds funny to me. It was just worse than her “normal” today.
I’m watching this sideshow on C-SPAN. I can’t stop humming “It’s Springtime for Hitler and Germany.” The questioning is by seniority. Hopefully, we’ll be past these old fossils soon and get to some meaty questions. Susan Collins is giving Petraeus a hard time presently and she’s a Republican.
oops used the word incorrectly – megillah = colloquially: the whole entire thing. or the book read at Purim, the Feast of Esther
Where’s Lahoma when I need her?!
May was, is, and should remain the “Moon of the Fattening Ponies,” if I remember my wonderful Mari Sandoz reading experiences correctly.
To #*&# with this stoopid, tragic, criminal war mongering!
Come on Petraeus knowbody believes that you didn’t know Maliki attacked without you knowledge and approval heck you probably PLANNED THAT ATTACK!
P. Iraqi forces taking the lead until they meet resistance then they need a helping hand. This is sort of a definition of them not taking the lead.
The Iraqi troops were TOO effective!
That’s a new one.
he is either a LIAR,or a negligent DUPE?
SHE JUST HIT A GRANSTAND HOMERUN imo
Susan’s been hardpressed by her constituency. She has to look out for number one, now.
Have we ever figured out what part Cheney actually played in the Maliki military blunders? And what does Petraeus think of Deadeye forging his own military strategy with Maliki, does the Pentagon know there’s also a shadow Pentagon, where Cheney’s the General, the Admiral AND the CO?
Seriously, Petraeus so much as says that our military was surprised by Maliki’s mischief, add one and one together and you always get Dick.
I just said to my husband…”What every happen to the f**king benchmarks??!!!
Oh, yeah, Purim. The Jewish Halloween, according to Liarman and McSame.
My senator up now.
Can’t he be both?
Nelson taking up half of his time preambling. Just ask the questions.
Great piece Christy–succinct and put into such great perspective!
LOL !!!
Qs have been VERY disappointing.
Given that Dick was there the week before and cut a deal with Hakim (the oil smuggler and head of the Badr Brigade) and his pal Maliki…
Is she recovering from a stroke? Where’s Kirk Murphy we need a Doctor’s opinion.
Where are their superiors?
Where is Rice?
Where is Gates?
how far are we away from hilary… i think she is like number 9 on this committe?
Nelson: “Where’s the political reconciliation you promised?” How will Petraeus and Crocker spin the answer?
I’m assuming so. She’s always sounded like that.
no,not inthis case…he is teh smart imo
“cut a deal with Hakim”
?
There’s the fire from whence all this smoke is emanating, I joked at TPM about blaming an oil-future’s trader, rather than a terrorist for blowing up that pipeline near Basra, but now I wonder if my snark was not more accurate than contemptuous, if you measure everyone of Cheney’s shadow chess-moves, they always seem to precede a spike in the price of a barrel of crude.
Over and over again, Cheney’s hand seems to start something that benefits his fellow Dubai vacation-homers. It would be interesting to see who all bought oil futures just before Cheney makes a move, no doubt he has a closely held list of beneficiaries, all of whom get “the call” just in time to buy into an oil investment fund before Tricky ReDick goes out stirring up the markets.
I apologize for Georgia early. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) will be questioning Petraeus and Crocker soon. Dumb as a rock. Sorry rock. I no longer apologize for Newt Gringrich. There is just no excuse….